


Querencia

by Olivier_Ambrose



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fairytale Land, bandit!regina, darkswan, enchanted forest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29373603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivier_Ambrose/pseuds/Olivier_Ambrose
Summary: EF AU. Based on a fanart of bandit Regina meeting the newly appointed Dark one in Enchanted forest where all the dark one's train to unlock their full potential. Regina- who's running from the Evil Queen Snow and slamming right into the arms of a blonde who just grins at her like she knows her, and smiles a dimpled smile which she shouldnt find so endearing but oh, god she does.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	1. Cover

**Author's Note:**

> writing for the very first time in the fandom so i apologize in advance at all the mistakes you shall find in this fic. no beta. i welcome all the constructive criticism, reviews, tips and pointing out plot holes. thank you in advance for giving this piece your time. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One: 

‘Halt!’ Emma stopped, her brain momentarily blinked with her not-so-saviour thoughts. The blonde didn’t turn around although her body screamed. ‘Turn around, slowly. Don’t try to act smart.’

The retort was right there on her tongue, but a giggling Gold- no wait- Rumpelstiltskin was right there whispering things about how she could take revenge on the Queen who cast the dark curse and gave her such an awful childhood.

‘Who are you and what are you doing in my forest?’ Regina’s voice sounded cold harsh, maybe a touch bit of afraid.

But Emma couldn’t pull her eyes off of the figure standing ahead of her. This wasn’t the queen, no, it was a thief or a village version of her prim proper Regina back in SB. A bow and arrow pulled taut with its arrow pointed straight at the new dark one. Emma tried to wipe her hands on the white weird rag-robe she wore because of course there wasn’t a single version of any realm where Regina would not exist. Especially where the dark one was supposed to train.

Regina’s attire consisted to cream shirt with tan waistcoat and furs on the shoulder, those legs which used to be encased in tight skirts was now snuggle fit in brown leather pants and a sword sheathed on the waist. And damn, Emma thought, Regina really could pull off any look so effortlessly.

‘I asked....’ slow deliberate steps were taken towards her. ‘Who are you and what are you doing here?’

‘My name is Emma.’ Saying dark one wasn’t going to get her out of this after all. ‘I’m lost?’

Brown eyes narrowed. Lost? In the middle of the forest? This blonde was quite literally blonde in every sense, she scoffed in her head. But the head tilt was too adorable.  
Rumple’s mumbling took a backseat as the sound of hooves hitting the soil caught the new dark ones attention.

Wait a minute now, if Regina is bandit here then who is the Evil Queen?

The insignia on soldiers made her freeze, it resembled her own tattoo a lot.

‘Show yourself to Queen Snow’s army’ a knight shouted and Emma scrunched her face, just imagining her sweater-wearing holier than thou mother wearing a dark dress that resembled Queen Regina’s version.

The disgust was apparent but this Regina, the one in front of her was stuck. She knew what universe was she in, who was the queen and the bandit.

And the former saviour didn’t spare another thought, ‘Run, I can handle them.’ 

Just to show off her arms (because all the pull ups and exercise later, the least she could do is showcase them in front of the woman she was completely besotted with) she exaggerated the rag dress over her forearms and called her magic to the surface.

But the magic that surfaced wasn’t the one she remembers, it wasn’t light and smelled of cinnamon, no, it tasted like rotten fruit, smelled like tar, and felt like a piece that had been missing for far too long.

There was slight hesitation in Regina’s eyes, a crease between her eyebrows in confusion, and Emma tried not to think about how that resembled Henry. 

The bandit made a run for it, only to look back at how black coal like magic surrounded Emma and with a wave of her hand she transported all the four knights away from them and dropped them in infinity forest.

Perhaps it was the darkness, maybe it was the lack of responsibility as a saviour that she didn’t always have to save everyone. A part of her hated that power but a bigger part of her enjoyed how easily the magic felt to her.  
Regina who quickly ran over the path to get away from the blonde, who apparently had dark magic. Magic was never good, she was told.

‘Hi.’ 

Giving a small yelp, the bandit pulled her bowstring again. The blonde who was encased in off white cloth was now dressed in a flannel and tight jeans with a red Leather jacket. 

‘Slow down, I didn’t get to introduce myself.’ Emma complained, keeping up with her, almost tumbling over branches. Regina accelerated to get rid of her, but like a pest, the blonde followed her with a small grin stamped on her face.

‘I didn’t need saving, I was just fine without you.’ And she really was. But the way the grin broadened on the stranger’s face she could’ve sworn that this is the exact response she expected.  
Idiot.  
But Regina wasn’t easily deterred, jumping over traps, sidestepping trees she kept on jogging but the sound of combat boots hitting the ground was right beside her.

‘My name’s Emma. What’s yours?’ Emma pretended not to see the way Regina snarled. It was too familiar.

‘None of your business.’ Knowing that there was absolutely no way she gonna lose the blonde hot on her heels, she paused near the lake and grumbled to herself when she realised that she didn’t take the waterskin with her.

‘Here.’ Summoning her magic, Emma tossed a waterskin to Regina who caught it instinctively. Thumbing through the belt loops, Emma swayed back and forth awkwardly.

‘Regina’ she mumbled hesitantly, filling water from the lake, keeping an eye on the intruder.

‘Nice to meet you Regina.’ Emma smiled her most charming smile. ‘I’m hungry. Are you fan of burger and fries?’

‘A -what?’ Regina sputtered. The magic came faster this time, was it excitement of food or trying to impress her teacher she didn’t know.

A picnic was set nearby with two small Styrofoam box and a bottle of watermelon lemonade (it was Regina’s favourite, she excused)

‘So,’ Emma smiled shyly. ‘Lunch?’


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be changing a lot of stuff to fit the prompt, so if any questions just lemme know. Thanks you to all the people who have bookmarked and given kudos to this piece of mine. reviews are appreciated. thank you.

CHAPTER 2

Pouting at the coins in her hand, Regina continued her trek towards the small cabin in which she lived, protected from Queen Snow.

It had been a week since she left _Emma_ standing near the lake like an idiot by tossing sand in her eyes and a dagger jammed in her thigh. Regina huffed- as if she will let a stranger tempt her into eating something.

The passing week did heighten her paranoia because there were times she was so sure that the blonde was following her, she’d looked over her shoulder more for Emma and less for the Queen.

Regina pulled a bowstring taut to check her latest purchase and preened when it worked the way she wished. Either she had the best mark or there was something wrong with it because every time tried shooting an animal, the arrow would embed itself exactly where she wanted. Freaked out by the possibility that she might be cursed, that’s how she ended up exchanging the bow and arrow for the black, which felt like it was made from a foreign material.

Emma continued visiting village by village, ignoring Rumpelstiltskin’s annoying giggling voice. No wonder Regina went on a psychotic rampant, Emma thought empathetically, the giggle is driving me insane too. 

There was a distinct hum under her skin, which one of the dead Dark one’s told her that it’s the dagger calling. Despite the dagger’s continuous prodding, Emma didn’t feel any compulsion to even try to transport to the master.

All the fourteen dark one’s egged her on to wreak havoc and destruction but she would simply trace the skin where the bandit stabbed her and she’d resist the temptation.  
‘Why would you want to save these pests when they have done nothing but disappoint.’ The guy with rotten teeth and spitter said right next to her ear. His name was Zoso, he said the first time they met.

Emma shuddered and wiped the side of her face and then realising that the guy was just visible to her and not everyone, even his spit, that’s ew.

Gold giggles, ‘perhaps we could loot one of the villages nearby.’ He supplies unhelpfully.

‘Not now Gold. I hear enough of you in Storybook.’ The little green man pouts like a child and disappears. 

Nimue is the one who freaks Emma out a tad bit, because she doesn’t say anything, she just sits there and watches the latest dark one- assessing.  
The other bear-bellied guy, whom she calls mutt-head simply walks side by side to her. Muttering facts about people, showing her their true colours, about how one of the most elderly man in the village is a cannibal and eats woman in winter (and not in the way a woman would wanna be eaten)

She shudders at the thought, maybe enchanted forest is even more horrible than the world she’s been living in. something licks up inside of her and she supresses the urge to revel in the feeling. The dead Dark one’s watch her intently as the darkness warms her inside, adding gasoline to the fire brewing inside.

()

Regina pauses with her ears perked up, she could’ve sworn she heard someone scream. She waited a couple seconds but when nothing happens she fills her waterskin and ties it to her waist.

‘help!’ she freezes, now completely sure that someone cried out for help, sidestepping branches and keeping an eyes out for any deceit or trap Regina steps into the yellow line.

The yellow line looks powdery and straight (inhumanly straight) which does not move even when wind tries to blow it away. Before she can wrack her brain for a solution, a helpless cry snatches her attention and her feet very stealthily carry her at the edge of the village. The forests hide her from sight and the bandit weaves around following the gagging and choking sounds.

Regina’s heart stops momentarily. Despite the dimming light of the sun she recognises the back of the woman who’s holding an elderly man by the neck. She gasps in horror at the scene. Theres blood everywhere on the soil, people lying dead and mutilated.

Theres small guts around the place as if ripped apart-

‘Mercy!’

‘Mercy?’ Regina flinches at the cold but deep voice, Emma’s laughter echoes off into the forest. ‘People like you don’t deserve mercy. Your entire family-’

Whoosh. Emma swan catches the arrow before it makes contact with her heart. A small part of her feels like crying that Regina would wanna kill her but the bigger, darker part just ignores her.

Zoso shows her Regina, who’s hiding cleverly in the forest, rubbing some sort of a shaving on the next arrow she shoots. Before the arrow can touch her, she squeezes the villager’s throat and watches as he crumples on the floor. Emma vanishes in a plume of grey smoke and appears behind Regina, grasping by her bicep and slamming her against the tree.

‘You wanna try that again, your majesty?’ Regina shudders at the title and frowns but doesn’t give away her fear. Nimue stares at Regina with such hatred that Emma pulls the bandit closer protectively who struggles in her arms.

‘Let me go, you monster.’ Regina growls, loading another arrow, the words feel wrong to her somehow and it shows how Emma’s face scrunches.

‘She called you a monster, oh Dark One.’ Zoso whispers and Emma almost rolls her eyes because seriously, do these gremlins do not understand the meaning of personal space. 

‘Finish her off, she’s just like all of them, she’ll steal away your son and make him hate you.’

‘No’ Emma whispers in the cold air. The arrow flies true and Emma grabs it without taking her eyes off Regina. 

Another arrow and she breaks it off with one hand. The all the Dark one’s keep whispering and planting seeds of her worst fears. But she drives on. 

‘I will not hurt her.’ Emma breathes out. ‘No. I don’t want to.’

Mutt-head shows her all the contents in Regina’s bag and Emma furrows her eyebrows.

‘You shouldn’t be out here without a jacket. With that she produces a jet black jacket and drapes it haphazardly over Regina and disappears.  
The last thing the bandit sees is wet green-grey eyes looking heartbroken and something swirling behind them.  
The yellow line disappears with Emma.

()

CAMELOT, PRESENT.

King Arthur sighs and sits back on his throne. ‘How is it possible, Lancelot? We were told that the saviour will appear and help us destroy the darkness then why-’

‘We’ve scoured the entire forest area for the saviour, but theres no signs your majesty.’ Lancelot lowers his eyes, ‘perhaps they might’ve gotten lost during the travels.’  
With a grunt, Arthur touches the hilt of his Excalibur. ‘They need to be here within a week captain, or else theres no way we shall be able to free merlin and fight our doom.’

()

STORYBROOKE, PAST.

The Charming clan could only blink as the vortex takes away their saviour.

‘Regina!’ Robin can only utter her name as she collapses on the tar floor, before her body can touch the asphalt she calls out her magic and the Dark One’s dagger is yanked away from the useless pirate’s grip and drags to the mayor, fitting perfectly in her hand.

And with that, Mayor Regina Mills is plucked from the Storybrooke and taken wherever the vortex took the sheriff.

The Evil Queen follows the Saviour through realms and lands.


End file.
